I have a barred rock, blue laced wyandotte, buff orpington, and buff brahma, all hens, and all just under a year old.
The blue went broody and stopped laying. As soon as she started coming out of her broodiness, the others stopped laying...but they don't seem broody.
I've had an automatic...
So we added a new chicken to our flock knowing that she was already laying; our other hens hadn't started laying yet. The egg on the left is the first egg she gave us... at least I'm assuming it's from her because it looks like the eggs that were shown to us when we bought her. She's a buff...
You guys helped me figure out Debbie was really a Delbert, and we found him a great home with nine hens! Today, my one day off, Daisy started cockle-doodle-dooing, and she did it well. The other day I saw her run up to one of the hens with her chest sticking out and standing very tall. I am...
My little Debbie (buff orpington) is my favorite of the flock. She's the most snuggly and friendly and perhaps beautiful. But I'm starting to wonder if she's actually a he! This is my first time owning chickens, so I'd appreciate some help. The oldest in the flock is about 5 months, and...
We set up a bucket with nipple waterers in the run. But at night time, the chickens are inside the coop. Do I need to provide a second source of water inside the coop or do they just sleep all night and not need water? I was planning on keeping water only outside to keep the coop shavings dry...
My chicks range from 5 to 8 weeks. They're still on chick starter feed but are outside pecking away at the ground and grass. The grit bag says to start giving grit at 8 weeks old once they start a heavier grain food. Should I start giving the grit now? Any harm to the youngest chick? And I...
We're in the middle of building our first chicken coop, which is actually our first time creating anything with wood. I'm wondering how you make the roof for external nesting boxes so that the roof hinges upward to get the eggs out. Do you cut the edge of the roof at a slant so that it fits...
From what I've read, the chicks/pullets can go outside once they've "feathered." But when is this? I've also read that the temp can be decreased by 5 degrees per week. So if our night time lows are in the upper 50s, does this mean the pullets need to be 9 weeks old in order to survive the...
I've read a lot of people saying that they close their hens inside the coop at night and let them out into the run during the day. I was planning on having the door to the coop open all the time between the coop and the run. If we predator-proof the run, is this safe? And don't the chickens...
We're still in the designing phase for our first coop, 4' x 4' for 3 hens. Most people seem to use wood, but then we'd have to treat, pre-drill, drill, and paint...and raise the coop off the ground in some manner to avoid termites, pests, etc. But I love the look of wood and it seems most...
We're getting ready to plunge into the world of chickens, hens only. Do they make a lot of noises? Silly question, I know, but I'd love to hear the answer! Thanks.
Well, I've convinced my husband to let me get a few chickens--yay! I'm super excited. First, though, we have to build our coop, and I have a few questions.
1. We live in Ventura, CA, 1-2 miles from the ocean. Average temperatures year round are in in the 60s. The coldest it gets is the 30s...